


zacky and syn, sitting in a tree: a gratuitous spot of fluff

by thunderylee



Category: Avenged Sevenfold
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-18
Updated: 2006-04-18
Packaged: 2019-02-08 01:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12853389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderylee/pseuds/thunderylee
Summary: See title.





	zacky and syn, sitting in a tree: a gratuitous spot of fluff

**Author's Note:**

> reposted from agck.

“When did your shoulder get so bony?”

“When did you become such a whiney bitch?”

“Can it, lovebirds.”

Zacky respectfully raises his middle finger at their frontman, but Brian grins like a cheshire cat and says, “Can it what?”

Matt shakes his head and starts to turn away, seeming to change his mind at the last second and stare intensely at where Brian’s forehead presses firmly into Zacky’s shoulder. “You okay, man?”

“Not really,” Brian replies, closing his eyes to keep out the harsh fluorescent lighting. “I’ve got a fucking headache.”

“You should get some fresh air,” Matt suggests.

“That’s a good idea,” agrees Zacky. “That stage was stuffy as fuck. Come on, I’ll go with you.”

Brian groans in protest but reluctantly allows Zacky help him up from the atrocious backstage couch. Once standing, Brian’s head automatically returns to Zacky’s shoulder as Zacky reaches an arm around Brian’s waist to keep him upright.

“I know you can walk, asshole,” Zacky says with a smile.

“I know I can too,” Brian responds, making no effort to move on his own.

Heaving a halfhearted sigh of defeat, Zacky tightens his hold on Brian’s waist as he leads him out the back door and into the cool night air.

“Where the fuck are we, anyways?” Brian asks, looking upwards at the cloudless starry sky.

“Somewhere in the midwest, I think.” Zacky squints as he tries to see past the faint glow of the venue lights. “I get all these flat states mixed up.”

Brian snorts and detaches himself from Zacky, stretching his neck purposefully as though silently mocking Zacky’s lack of height. Ignoring him, Zacky walks into the darkness, and the sounds of a light breeze and the ground crunching beneath their feet is all that can be heard as Brian jogs to catch up with him.

The venue lights shrink further and further behind them as they walk aimlessly, neither one speaking until Zacky pulls out a crushed pack of cigarettes and lights one.

“Those are going to kill you, you know,” Brian teases.

“So’s your headache,” Zacky points out, blowing his drag directly in Brian’s face. “You could have an aneurism and drop dead, and I’ll still be alive and smoking.”

Brian snorts and suddenly stops in his tracks. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Zacky inhales sharply, looking around. “What did you hear?”

“A… growling noise,” Brian says anxiously, freezing in place. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he adds, “Do they have werewolves in the midwest?”

Zacky laughs. “I don’t think so. But they do have dogs.”

Brian’s eyes follow Zacky’s finger as it rises to point directly at a pair of bright yellow slits shining through a nearby brush.

“He looks angry,” says Brian. “And mean.”

“He’s just protecting his property.” Zacky crouches down to the ground and claps his hands together. “Here, boy! Good dog…”

Brian slowly backs away, his eyes growing wide as the dog’s growls grow louder. “Zack, I think you should leave him alone.”

“Naw,” Zacky replies stubbornly, grinning as the large black dog emerges from the bushes. “See? He’s harmless. C’mere, doggie.”

The dog bares his teeth and barks loudly. Acting on impulse, Brian dives forward and grabs Zacky by the arm, yanking him to his feet just as the dog makes a pounce for him.

“Run!” Brian screams, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Zacky is behind him before sprinting towards the forest.

“Bad dog,” Zacky mutters under his breath, following Brian as fast as his legs will carry him. “Hey! You know the venue is the _other_ way, right?”

“Do you want to be dogfood?” Brian shouts back. “I hope you know how to climb a tree.”

“Climb a what?” Zacky struggles to catch his breath as his eyes widen in disbelief at the sight of Brian jumping on the nearest tree and pulling himself up the trunk. “Oh, fuck me.”

Brian settles himself into a split in the trunk about six feet above the ground before looking down and seeing Zacky stand frozen at the bottom of the tree, staring up at him helplessly. “Uh, Brian?”

The dog races into view and halts to a stop several feet in front of Zacky, growling menacingly. Zacky inches closer to the tree until his stomach is flat against the trunk, turning his head to fix his eyes on the beast who’s about to turn him into a mangled carcass.

Leaning over as far as he can, Brian whispers, “Listen carefully. I’m going to lower my hands, and I want you to grab them. When I say ‘go’, push off of the ground with your feet, and I will pull you up.”

“Okay,” Zacky replies shakily, the doubt showing in his eyes.

The dog steps closer, licking his chops. Brian extends his hands, which Zacky clutch so tightly with his own that his knuckles are turning white. He hooks his legs around one half of the split trunk, crossing his ankles for added measure.

Scrunching his face up, as though preparing for a pair of dislocated shoulders or worse, he holds onto Zacky’s hands firmly and hisses, “Go!”

The dog takes Brian’s command literally and takes off towards the tree. Zacky’s feet leave the ground as Brian uses all of his strength to pull him up into the tree and out of harm’s way. Zacky ends up halfway in Brian’s lap, his legs swinging over the side the thick branch just high enough for the dog’s sharp claws to make contact with his shoes. He quickly scrambles to contain his entire person on the branch, stretching his legs out the length of it with his back pressed against Brian’s chest.

Instinctively, Brian wraps his arms around Zacky’s waist and folds his hands together right above his stomach. Zacky leans his head back on Brian’s shoulder, emitting a huge sigh of relief.

“I just saved your life, asshole,” Brian mumbles, a hysterical cry of laughter escaping him.

“Thanks,” Zacky says breathlessly, covering Brian’s hands with his own. “I owe you one.”

Brian rests his chin on Zacky’s shoulder and glances down at the ground. “How long do you think that fucker is going to be down there?”

“Until he gives up,” Zacky replies dejectedly. “Apparently he has decided that I look rather tasty.”

“Looks like we’re stuck here for awhile then.”

Zacky tightens his grip on Brian’s hands. “I can think of worse places to be stranded.”

Smiling, Brian returns the squeeze and sighs contently. “You smell good.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, he bangs his forehead on Zacky’s shoulder. “That’s not what I meant to say.”

Zacky laughs quietly. “It’s okay. It’s good to know I don’t smell like ass after being chased by a crazy dog and heaving my fat ass up a tree.”

“You don’t smell like ass,” Brian reassures him with a chuckle, tilting his head so that his nose presses into Zacky’s neck. He breathes in forcefully and Zacky laughs harder. “And for what it’s worth, your ass is too skinny.”

Zacky snorts. “You’ve been studying my ass?”

“Of course not,” Brian replies. “I just know that your shoulder has gotten less squishy, which leads me to believe that you’re losing too much weight.”

Zacky shrugs abruptly, jabbing Brian in the cheek with the aforementioned shoulder bone. “Fag.”

“Ow, fucker.” Brian snatches one of his hands out of Zacky’s grasp and rubs his cheek. “You say that like you’re not lying in my damn arms.”

“We are _in a tree_ ,” Zacky responds lazily. “Not a whole hell of a lot of options, are there?”

Brian makes to move his other hand, but Zacky grabs it and holds on. “I don’t have good balance,” he says quietly. “If you let go of me, I might fall.”

Frowning, Brian lowers the hand on his face and encircles Zacky’s waist, tightly locking his fingers together. “I won’t let you fall.”

Zacky relaxes, resting his head on Brian’s. For a few minutes, the dog’s determined barking is the only audible noise, save for the sounds of their labored breathing.

“My ass hurts,” Brian says finally, shifting as much as he can against the coarse bark of the tree trunk.

“I’m sorry,” Zacky replies automatically, wrinkling his nose at the interruption of his comfort.

“You should be.” Brian gives up and arches his back against the other branch, indirectly pulling Zacky further into his lap. “It’s your fault we’re up here.”

“I _know_ ,” Zacky says defensively. “I’m a stupid asshole, I know. It’s my fault that we’re stuck in a tree instead of backstage with Matt fucking random groupie whores.”

Brian makes a face. “He still does that?”

“Hell if I know,” Zacky admits, shrugging light enough as to not disturb Brian’s face. “I usually hang out on the bus after the shows while you guys meet the fans. Gives me a chance to calm down before you crazy bitches want to paint the town.”

Brian nods and falls silent.

Zacky sighs. “I’m bored. Let’s make out.”

A howl of laughter explodes from Brian’s mouth, making Zacky’s torso shake from the effort. “Yeah, okay,” Brian replies sarcastically.

“I’m serious,” Zacky says, turning his head to stare straight at Brian’s raised eyebrows. “I know you want to. Don’t lie.”

Brian opens his mouth to speak, closing it immediately. “You’re not gay,” he manages to say.

“Neither are you,” Zacky points out. “So let’s make out.”

Brian scoffs. “What worries me is that somehow this makes perfect sense in your head.”

“See, that’s your problem.” Zacky grins. “You think too much.”

With that, Zacky lifts his hand to cup Brian’s jaw, turning him towards him. Their lips touch briefly, both of them jumping back immediately as though they’d been burned.

“I didn’t think you’d really do it,” Zacky says, an astonished expression on his face.

“I-I…” Brian gulps, surreptitiously licking his lips.

Zacky stares at him in disbelief for a second before clearing his throat. “Well, um, okay. That’s, um, an interesting piece of… information to know.”

Brian casts his eyes downward and starts to look the other way, but Zacky grabs him by the chin and pulls him back with such force that their mouths crash together, teeth clanging and scraping against chapped lips, clean-shaven chins bumping against each other. A sliver of tongue is visible as Zacky tilts his head and deepens the kiss, his hand sliding up Brian’s jawline to tangle in the messy hair at the nape of his neck.

Brian’s hands stay firmly folded on Zacky’s stomach as he returns the kiss wholeheartedly, straining his neck to meet Zacky’s efforts in the awkward position. His hands jerk like he wants to move them but seems to think better of it and keeps them still. The fingers on Zacky’s remaining hand intertwine with Brian’s, stroking his skin with the calloused pad of his thumb.

Zacky abruptly breaks the kiss but doesn’t pull away, instead kissing a path from Brian’s mouth to behind his ear and down along his neck, resting his head on his shoulder. Brian breathes deeply, closing his eyes and stretching his neck out to give Zacky better access.

“Does it still not make sense to you?” Zacky whispers, pressing his lips into the hollow of Brian’s neck.

Brian smiles. “It’s becoming clearer.”


End file.
